


Of Fire and Earth

by I_Write_Midnight_Snacks



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Earth bender! Viktor, Fire bender! Yuuri, I actually thought it fun to figure out how these two would work with these particular elements, I hope it shows over the next few chapters, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Viktor's family are somewhat assholes, depressed viktor, element-bending AU, not quite an Avatar AU though since the mechanics of this worlld are a bit different
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-30
Updated: 2017-07-30
Packaged: 2018-12-09 02:38:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11659893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_Write_Midnight_Snacks/pseuds/I_Write_Midnight_Snacks
Summary: Turning on his back, he stared at the deep read of the curtains above the bed. He would be meeting the royal family in a few days, and he had until then to explore the fire nation. He would try to see everything it had to offer; see their bending shows, so different from the ones of the Earth nation, see the sights and the people, try their food and hopefully, meet Yuuri again. Maybe he’d manage to find what he was searching for along the way.Maybe he’d manage to find the missing piece of himself.





	Of Fire and Earth

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Yuri on Ice Big Bang on tumblr
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> **I'll be embedding the artwork in a day's time so look out for that!**
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> My tumblr - [i-write-midnight-snacks](i-write-midnight-snacks.tumblr.com)  
> My Partner - [nerdbullydraws](nerdbullydraws.tumblr.com)

The urge to bend was rising up inside of Viktor like the waves under a full moon. Urged on by the unfamiliar sights of the fire nation’s landscapes and architecture, he felt inspiration welling up within him with the force of a tidal wave and he had to force himself to hold back the urge by reminding himself of the situation.

He pushed the desire deep down, hidden between carefully crafted layers of indifference, hiding it away until the time would be right and electing instead to take in all of the sights he could.

People had been stumbling and walking over each other trying to get out of his way while he walked amongst them, which was why the young prince was now walking around the outskirts of the city, along a cliff that overlooked the grand buildings and large forests of the nation rather than visiting everything the fire nation had to offer. Part of him was happy for the chance to be alone and enjoy the sights in silence, but the side of him that was growing weary of being on his own was already leading his feet back into the direction of the royal bathhouse where he was staying for the duration of his visit.

The noises of the city were comforting in a bitter-sweet way; noises of civilization and life, of people bustling around and factories working in the distance, the noise of the wind slithering around the busy streets and through the chimes above every store door in the vicinity. He let his thoughts fade away in the background of that noise which accompanied him all the way back to the Royal House.

Even as he walked down the hallways to his chambers, Viktor found that people would still stumble out of his way, their faces marred by fear and reverence. Nonetheless, he did his best to smile warmly at everyone in his path, even as he felt himself slipping into a dark mindframe he was all too familiar with.

His chambers were large, beautifully decorated in shades of red and golden. There were large windows looking out over the city, with thick curtains, and there were comfortable looking chairs and a few tables all around the room, and Viktor sighed as he looked at the king-sized bed he’d be sleeping in all alone.

He felt small.

Instead of spending more time there, he decided to try out the hot springs. He was in the Royal Bathhouse, after all, and onsens weren’t common in the Earth Nation so he did find himself curious.

Dressing himself in the robes provided for him, Viktor took his time to where he knew the hot springs to be. Night was falling slowly, and the lights of the city were enchanting beyond the large windows of the Royal House.

The building was perched on top of the hill overlooking the capital of the nation, and it held the living quarters of the Royal family and the Great Council, while also dubbing as a bathhouse run by the King and the Queen, meant to host any important visitors, but also open for the public. Or so Viktor had been taught ever since he was a child. The Royal Family of the Fire Nation were said to have a policy of regarding their citizens with respect, founding many programs and facilities meant to help and support their people. Viktor had never seen all of that for himself before, but he knew that the fire nation was the most prosperous of the four nations and he was hoping that he could learn from them for the time that he himself would become king.

Viktor made it to the hot spring area without much incident, and he figured that maybe it would be a good idea to dress in common fire nation clothing more often, if it made him less recognisable. He fumbled around a bit, unfamiliar with the customs or markings of the nation, but thankfully the people around seemed more than happy to give him a few directions once they noticed him looking lost.

And so nightfall found him soaking alone under the stars. The area was enclosed from all sides, filled with wildlife and garden decorations, and shielded off from the blinding lights of the city to allow him an unperturbed view of the starry sky.

The stars, at least, looked the same as they did back home.

Viktor sighed. He closed his eyes, relaxing into the soothing warmth and letting his thoughts go blank for the time being. Absentmindedly, he found himself standing up, his body moving almost on its own as he went through the motions of his earthbending. His arms weaved through the air by muscle-memory alone, legs following awkwardly with the added pressure of the water in a dance-like succession of movements.

He got lost in his dance, finding clarity in the effortless movements, and the silence of the night. Which was why, when the sound of a slammed door broke through his daze, it was with a violent jerk that he turned in the direction of the noise.

“Oh, I’m so sorry!”

The man stood in the entrance to the enclosed area looked to be as startled as Viktor felt. The young prince failed to care about that, however. He found himself looking at the boy before him with a single-minded focus that rarely applied to anything beyond his bending. Dressed in clothes similar to those provided for Viktor himself, something seemed to shine from within the boy that caught Viktor’s eyes and made him look absolutely breathtaking to the prince.

The way he moved as he straightened and stepped back only played ode to that charm. Despite his awkward movements, there was an air of grace behind every tense motion, an underlying regalness that could be nothing but engrained in the boy’s body.

“I-I didn’t mean to stare, it’s just, I walked in here to clean up and - and I saw you there and I didn’t want to interrupt!”

Viktor smiled.

“Oh, that’s alright!” He spread his arms out in a grand gesture. “I’m happy to put on a show for you, if you’d like to watch more! I’m Viktor!” He said.

He saw the boy slowly relaxing in front of him, and he smiled even wider.

“Oh. Uh, It’s… It’s nice to meet you! I’m Yuuri.” The boy was blushing and avoiding eye-contact as he spoke, and it took Viktor a few seconds to remember that he was fully naked in front of this stranger.

He slowly sat himself down back into the water, for Yuuri’s sake more than his own, and it seemed to work once the boy finally faced him properly.

“Uh, if it’s alright to ask, was that a bending form you were practicing just now?” the boy asked. His voice sounded soft, uncertain, as if unsure of his boundaries in asking something like that, but it betrayed his curiosity, and Viktor was more than happy to talk about bending at any time.

“Yes, it was, actually!” he winked. “Would you like to see some more of it? I’d be happy to show you.”

Yuuri immediately turned red. “Uh- no, no that’s- That’s fine! I’ve actually got- yeah, I’ve got to work, I was just checking in and I should get back soon, maybe - maybe another time!”

Viktor blinked at the sudden barrage of words. Then, he laughed. “Well, maybe another time, than. Since you work here, maybe I’ll see you around?” He flashed his most charming smile as he spoke to the boy. “You are a bender too, right?” He posed it as a question, but Viktor could see the years of training and the pure bending skill shining through in every move Yuuri made.

In fact, he found himself intrigued by how someone with that much training - someone whose bending seemed to be ingrained in their body - was working as nothing more than a helper in the royal hot springs. Did the boy simply not want to work in entertainment?

Unaware of Viktor’s thoughts, Yuuri nodded in response to his question, a sheepish smile on his face as he averted his eyes. “Y-yeah, I am. That’s why… I was wondering. Your form looked weird; I haven’t seen anything like it before. I really didn’t mean to stare, though.”

Viktor chuckled. “It’s alright, I get that a lot. Maybe I can show you again, later, and you could show me your bending, too. I’d love to learn from you.”

Tension slowly faded away from Yuuri’s body and slowly, a smile stretched on his face. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

***

Later as he lied in bed, Viktor’s thoughts were, for once, not focused on his troubles. Rather, he found himself looking forward to meeting Yuuri again. There was something enchanting about the boy; some kind of shine that drew Viktor to him like a moth to a flame. He wanted to see Yuuri again, if only to learn more about him and maybe find what it was about the shy boy that spoke to Viktor.

Turning on his back, he stared at the deep read of the curtains above the bed. He would be meeting the royal family in a few days, and he had until then to explore the fire nation. He would try to see everything it had to offer; see their bending shows, so different from the ones of the Earth nation, see the sights and the people, try their food and hopefully, meet Yuuri again. Maybe he’d manage to find what he was searching for along the way.

_Maybe he’d manage to find the missing piece of himself._


End file.
